When I asked Alicia Graf Mack, dean and director of The Julliard Schools Dance Division, to recall a moment that felt like a manifestation of her vision, she shared a recent Zoom conversation she had with seven Julliard seniors. Theyre touring with dance companies and joined from around the world to share stories about their first performances.As a former principal dancer, Graf Mack understands her students journeys. She joined Julliard in 2018 with a bold vision to modernize dance education. As Julliard President Damian Woetzel captured: on a macro level, what she is doing is influencing the very future of dance in the world.Id love to see a field that is so diverse that we dont have to put any labels on the artists themselves, she says. Id love to see a world where leadership is rooted in the same values that our school is: equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and creative enterprise.There is no one way to define what excellence is, she adds. I wish for all of our dancers to have a stage for their unique voices and lives.Alicia Graf Mack [Photo: Gregory Costanzo]Graf Macks vision will be brought to life at Julliards annual Spring Dances program March 26 to 29, where students will perform works by distinguished choreographers Jose Limn, William Forsythe, and Aszure Barton.On the surface, Graf Macks journey may appear like the perfect full circle story. This July, she will return to Alvin Ailey Theatre, where she was a principal dancer, as their new artistic director. Still, her path is defined by resilience. She retired three times due to an autoimmune disease and returned to the stage twice. Today, she is devoted to guiding the next generation of artists.Here, she discusses how to evolve your purpose, cultivate a beginners mindset, and sustain creative energy.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.In your Harpers Bazaar interview with Jon Batiste, he shared that the company mindset is really the antithesis of art, which is a superpower thats most potent when individuals are most like themselves and empowered in their being. As a teacher, what does it look like to empower people in their being?Im lucky that being in this position, I have the chance to see so much talent, then hand select the incredible artists who we want to help to cultivate further. I always look for something intangible in the personsomething you cant pinpoint or describe why youre drawn to their artistry or talent. When you have a rich cohort of different peopledifferent backgrounds, body shapes, and intereststhat room will be so much richer and more vibrant, because no one is trying to fulfill a cookie cutter image of what a professional dancer should be or look like.Im hopeful that, with the young people in the dance division, but also throughout the school, that we are cultivating leadership of the next generation of professional artists in the field. The idea of creating the world that you hope to see lives at the forefront of what we do at Juilliard and the people who are here.Ive had a very atypical journey for a ballerina who is a Black woman and stands over six feet tall in pointe shoesall of that was to be barriers in my life. But, those differences are what made me stand out. I would love to be able to pass on that torch of inclusion that I experienced at Dance Theatre of Harlem under Arthur Mitchell and Alvin Ailey under Judith Jamison and Robert Battle.To be able to be an authentic person makes such a difference in your artistry once you join a company, because then youre part of an institution. But, youre honored for who you are, as opposed to having to prove every day who you are. That allows the dancers to fly, because when you come to an educational institution and youre asked to be vulnerable and learn new things, its very hard to do so when youre not seen as the right person for the work.Lets talk about resilience. You shared a poignant moment after a doctors appointment that implied that your career might be over: You were on the subway and sat under Dance Theatre of Harlems 30th anniversary poster with you in the center. Looking back, what would you have told yourself then?I would say: Theres no way through it, but through it. There was no way around the devastation that I felt when I knew that part of me or that chapter of my life was closed. My dad was with me that day and to have him there was really meaningful. It was like: You can hit rock bottom. But, your rock bottom still has your people there.In your conversation with Wendy Whelan, associate artistic director of New York City Ballet, you shared that the life experience you had during your retirements helped you give yourself to the work. What does it mean to give yourself to the work?It wasnt until I gained maturity in life and life experiencewhat it feels like to be at your bottom and also know the high of highsthat I could bring that to my storytelling. Essentially, thats what we do as dancers. We tell stories, either literal stories as embodied characters or we try to emulate music or feelings. In everything, we try to reflect the world in which we live and upon universal experiences that will affect an audience as theyre watching.As a young person, I trained all dayafter school, all night, and all weekend. Then, I became a professional dancer. I didnt have any real-life experiences to draw upon when I was dancing. Coming back, I was a much more mature artist. I had less fear about impressing an audience or dance critic. It all fell to the wayside after I returned, because I knew that my time was not promised on stage. I took advantage of every moment and tried to run full force into it.[Photo: Rachel Papo]You often describe dance as living in the movement and express that dance isnt just about technique. How do you help dancers understand that theyre a vessel for creativity and guide them to dance from that place?The great dancers are able to transcend technique. Thats where they live in their artistry. They are more than the steps. Anybody can learn a step. But, it is a special gift to be able to express.Im hearing the words of Judith Jamison because Ive been watching so many old videos. [Jamison passed away a few days prior to our conversation]. She would say this all the time: You must speak truth through your art. Thats what we do as artists. When you see an artist who has unlocked that great sense of vulnerability and responsibility to the craft, you will recognize them right away on stage.What is essential to sustain that creative energy and level of performance?Theres a very important mode of daily practice that dancers must have. We are constantly putting our body through the paces. So, when its time to perform, it becomes second nature. Youre not thinking about steps.Also, its about staying curious about the work; that keeps everything so alive. It allows seasoned dancers to maintain a beginners mindset, so that every day you step into the studio youre like: What can I learn? What is something that I can approach with a new or fresh perspective today?I can only talk about my own experiences. But, with Alvin Ailey, we would perform Revelations hundreds of times in a given year. You have to keep asking yourself: What experiences can I draw on today to bring forth through this work? What is happening in our world and culture that I can tap into to express pain, joy, or hope? Its a meditation on how to refresh the work every day and remind ourselves why its so important.You highlighted that while the path requires intentional sacrifice, you can walk it with joy. How do you stay connected to joy amidst the rigor?You have to hold onto the why of what youre doing. I always had the sense that not every day is going to be like Christmas. But, youre going to have those moments when you realize that you arrived. That keeps you going to step onto another plateauto continue to want to strive for more.What I do isnt life saving. But, I do feel that my work has a real purpose; that allows clarity. I have a feeling that I know what Ive been put on this Earth to do. I try to live that purpose as much as I can.